80mm Summilux R

[wilfredo]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I received the 85mm Zeiss last week and took this shot soon after receiving it @ f/8 on the 5D II. It is a very sharp lens and I love the contrast. I decided on a Leica UV filter for this one just to stay in the Leica family :-)

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[4X5B&W]

Seems sharp enough......how is it at 1.4 - 2.0, that's where the 80 lux shines.

[wilfredo]

I haven't had a chance to try it at that aperture yet.

[rob_x2004]

Now youve had the 5ii for a short while whats your take on focus and metering with the leica lenses?

[roguewave]

Wilfredo, although sharp, I must add that the OOF area is not very pleasing & certainly doesn't have the bokeh of either the 80 lux or even the 90 Elmarit, which can purchased for as little as $200-250 in NYC.

[davephoto]

Wilfredo--run--don't walk--to get an R80 Lux. Heck, I might even buy a back up!

 

This is from a 5d / 80 R lux since we're talking Canon here. Shot at f1.6 by window light with just a touch of fill flash...one of the best lenses ever made for 35mm IMO.

 

@Jaap--it's not quite the same lens as the 75 Lux, though they are similar looking. Between 1.4 and 2.8, the 80R lux is much more like a Nocti IMO.

 

[ATTACH]157626[/ATTACH]

 

 

Lovely shot, Jaime! I have a Lux-R 1.4/80mm mounted on my R5 which I haven't touched in 5 or so years. What have I been thinking! Your two photos, along with Ben's, have inspired me to dust it off and pick up a couple rolls of Reala.

[tobey bilek]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Leica is like the government whose answer to to everything is raise taxes, print more money, or pile up debt. Leica`s is to raise prices because the other two options do not exist for a private firm. My pocket only has so much in it and since the government gets first crack, Leica looses.

 

German laws and the whole european social safety net make production the close to impossible and the US is not far behind. Heck we pay companies to move jobs away. How stupid can you get! Neither major political party offers relief. Both promise, but when the chips are down, they offer nothing. Politics and the "need" to get reelected rule all decisions. The current health care debate is a prime example. Nobody has the guts to reform the insurance companies, get all people covered, and tell them they have 5 days to get claims paid like is done in some european countries. Instead they build a governnent dept staffed by humdreds that do nothing to cheapen or improve health care.

You see insurance companies contribute to reelction campaigns.

 

Back to 80 lux.

 

All versions are basically the same. ROM chip had some small value to the R8/9 and would have been great with the R10.

 

If sharp full open is what you want, this is not the lens. Two stops down and it becomes decently sharp. The asph lenses outclass it by a wide margin for sharpness at 1.4 and 2.0. You may judge a lens by out of focus rendition, but I want a sharp lens. People look at the subject, not the background. It is not a soft focus lens which have beautiful rendition for people as far as I am concerned. Unsharp lenses just look fuzzy by comparison. The problem you have is the lenses like the 90 APO R and 100 2.8 R are so sharp as to make people look hideous. I did shot of my 3 year old with the 100 when they first came out. I could see skin texture. You should see what it makes a 40 year old look like. UGLY to say the least.

 

I keep a 90 2.0 R for 35mm portraits or I use my 125 Hector or 120 Imagon if I can manage it. The Imagon is the very best portrait lens for 35mm that exists, but it was expensive and nearly impossible to find now.

 

But if a thin bebth of field and less than perfect sharpness is ok, the 80 lux is your lens.

Closed to 5.6 is approached APO lens sharpness.

[Jamie Roberts]

Lovely shot, Jaime! I have a Lux-R 1.4/80mm mounted on my R5 which I haven't touched in 5 or so years. What have I been thinking! Your two photos, along with Ben's, have inspired me to dust it off and pick up a couple rolls of Reala.

 

Thanks so much. FWIW, I have no problems with sharpness on mine either, even wide open, which is not to be confused with contrast.

 

On full-frame film it's a gem as well, though I haven't shot it that way since the DMR You'll have to let us know what you think!

[wilfredo]

Wilfredo, although sharp, I must add that the OOF area is not very pleasing & certainly doesn't have the bokeh of either the 80 lux or even the 90 Elmarit, which can purchased for as little as $200-250 in NYC.

 

I haven't had a chance to do some shots with the lens wide open so I really don't know how the bokeh will look. I trust it will be decent enough, as you know, I lean more in the direction of sharpness than bokeh. The bokeh in your shot is no doubt outstanding.

[wilfredo]

Here's a shot I did today to get a feel for the bokeh. There is no post-processing here except for a some minor cropping. This was shot @ f/1.4, ISO 1000, 125/second. I'm more than satisfied with the bokeh, even @ ISO 1000. I look forward to more experimentation.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[wilfredo]

Here's another @ f/1.4. I'm very satisfied with the bokeh. No post-processing.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[farnz]

Wilfredo,

 

With the greatest respect, if these pictures are taken with the Zeiss 85/1.4 on a 5D11 are they contravening the forum's rule on only posting pictures with a Leica camera or lens or both?

 

Pete.

[wilfredo]

My understanding is that as long as Leica equipment is used, it's allowed. I specifically purchased a Leica UV filter for this lens to observe the rules. I realize this is a stretch but it is in keeping with the rules and I think the discussion is a valuable one. At least to me it has been. Most of us use other than Leica gear and value the perspective given here and the options available. I'm considering Ben's suggestion of getting a 90mm Elmarit, BTW.

[Jamie Roberts]

Hey Pete--I don't actually mind the Zeiss posted images.

 

What they show is absolutely NOT the signature of the 80 R Lux (or the 50 R Lux, or the 180 Elmarit, or the 100 APO Macro ) --or any Leica lens for that matter).

 

The Bokeh is kind of, um, first hard to tell with these shots, but from what I can see it's a bit annoying. Could just be this instance though. Wilfredo, go shoot some out of focus point sources and we'll see how the Zeiss does wide open;)

 

Here are some flower shots from the 85 Lux on the DMR (it's a theme thing). All window light, right out of C1:

 

f3.2...

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

f 1.4

 

f 2.8

 

f 2.8

 

All of these show characteristic Leica bokeh--smooth, luminous, and visually interesting, even with odd shapes, IMO.

 

PPS--the Panasonic GF1 is so not a replacement for the DMR. Sigh.

[mgcd]

My understanding is that as long as Leica equipment is used, it's allowed. I specifically purchased a Leica UV filter for this lens to observe the rules. I realize this is a stretch but it is in keeping with the rules and I think the discussion is a valuable one. At least to me it has been. Most of us use other than Leica gear and value the perspective given here and the options available. I'm considering Ben's suggestion of getting a 90mm Elmarit, BTW.

 

I think the Zeiss posting is interesting and I really don't mind it at all. That said... and I support this posting.... the rules call for Leica bodies and/or lenses, not filters

 

Cheers,

[lct]

Yes but to compare Leica and Zeiss reflex lenses one needs a non-Leica DSLR so far. The R10 debacle was hardly our fault wasn't it.

[mgcd]

Yes but to compare Leica and Zeiss reflex lenses one needs a non-Leica DSLR so far. The R10 debacle was hardly our fault wasn't it.

 

No one can argue with that

 

Cheers,

[farnz]

My understanding is that as long as Leica equipment is used, it's allowed. I specifically purchased a Leica UV filter for this lens to observe the rules. I realize this is a stretch but it is in keeping with the rules and I think the discussion is a valuable one. At least to me it has been. Most of us use other than Leica gear and value the perspective given here and the options available. I'm considering Ben's suggestion of getting a 90mm Elmarit, BTW.

Fair enough, Wilfredo, and I agree with Ben that the 90 Elmarit is a very impressive lens.

 

Pete.

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[ddp]

Fair enough, Wilfredo, and I agree with Ben that the 90 Elmarit is a very impressive lens.

 

Pete.

 

I will also chime in on the 90 Elmarit...when I owned R equipment, I was very impressed by what this inexpensive lens was capable of. Seems to get little mention at times. I always wanted the 80 Summilux, never seemed to be able to snag one at the time.

[wilfredo]

Hey Pete--I don't actually mind the Zeiss posted images.

 

What they show is absolutely NOT the signature of the 80 R Lux (or the 50 R Lux, or the 180 Elmarit, or the 100 APO Macro ) --or any Leica lens for that matter).

 

The Bokeh is kind of, um, first hard to tell with these shots, but from what I can see it's a bit annoying. Could just be this instance though. Wilfredo, go shoot some out of focus point sources and we'll see how the Zeiss does wide open;)

 

Here are some flower shots from the 85 Lux on the DMR (it's a theme thing). All window light, right out of C1:

 

All of these show characteristic Leica bokeh--smooth, luminous, and visually interesting, even with odd shapes, IMO.

 

PPS--the Panasonic GF1 is so not a replacement for the DMR. Sigh.

 

Jamie,

 

I appreciate your openness but I don't see what's annoying about the bokeh especially of the first shot posted here at f/1.4. It may not be to your liking but saying it is annoying is pretty extreme. I have a good enough photographic eye ten times validated by the mostly positive feedback I get for my work and IMHO it is a very pleasing image, mind you it is not my style to shoot wide open, I just wanted to get a feel for the boken and I'm pleased. Take into consideration that it was shot in the shade during early evening when the Sun was going to sleep, the flowers did not have a smooth even bright light source as in your shots. Also take into consideration that it was shot at an ISO of 1000, and I did no post-processing. Your shots are luminous because of the light source, nothing wrong with that, but the luminance was not produced by the bokeh. I'm sorry you don't find my picture pleasing.

 

As I've mentioned earlier, I was one of those people hoping for an R10. Leica lost a bunch of us on that one, where else can we turn? Canon and Nikon are the obvious options.

Edited September 8, 2009 by wilfredo